The Hide and Seek Competition
by cheri1
Summary: 10/Rose. The Doctor and Rose travel to a hide and seek competition on a distant planet. But what starts out as a fun little game soon turns into a fight for their lives.
1. Prologue

Prologue

"Oh, come on," Rose said as she and the Doctor stood by the console. "You're having me on."

"Never! I'm being perfectly serious!"

"Hide and seek? Seriously?"

"On Metalune Nine, every year they have an annual hide and seek where people from many planets come and play for prizes. Interested?"

"So…one person hides and the rest of the planet finds them?" Rose said.

"No, people hide and seek in pairs, one person hides and the other tries to find them. They have to find their person in the quickest amount of time to win."

"And they have the whole planet to hide in?"

"Well, not the entire planet, no. They have a specially designed game area with mountains and forests and valleys and landmarks. The people hide in there. Each person is given a teleporter so they can hide anywhere in the game area. The other person can use their teleporter to find them but they must find them as quickly as possible to win. Also top prize is given to the team who finds each other first."

"Doesn't sound too bad," Rose said.

"Interested then?" the Doctor said.

Rose thought it over. She didn't play much hide and seek as a child since the neighborhood they lived in was rough but the thought of hunting for the Doctor made her smile.

"So, one person searches for the other and the game ends when they find them," Rose said.

"Yup. Then we can enter again if we don't win and switch who hides and who seeks."

"I want to seek then," Rose said.

"No, let me seek first," the Doctor said.

"Any reason why?"

"I'm good at seeking. I'm a champion seeker. Let me go first and you hide."

Rose grinned.

"Alright then. I'll hide first."

"Brilliant! I'll set the coordinates and in no time at all, I'll be searching for ya!" the Doctor said happily as he entered the coordinates into his computer.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Rose stepped outside of the TARDIS and looked around at the forest they had landed in. The Doctor had recommended a change of clothes for her and she was wearing a powder blue strapless dress, matching slippers and a blue veil trimmed with gold hiding most of her hair. She could tell the Doctor liked her outfit even though he didn't say it in words. He was wearing his usual brown suit, white trainers and trench coat. Rose adjusted her veil while the Doctor closed the TARDIS door. In front of them was a large stone arena and she could see people from different planets heading inside through a large opening. The Doctor took Rose's hand and they walked over to a dirt path and headed for the queue. Rose could see several people of different species were wearing similar outfits to hers which made her feel better since she wondered if the people really did wear the outfit she was wearing or if the Doctor said that so he could see her in it. Not that she minded if the Doctor had lied since she enjoyed seeing his expression when she first came into the console room.

They reached the back of the queue. Rose studied the couple in front of them. They were both cat humanoids, the male was lionine with a full mane. He was wearing a white toga and sandals on his large feet. His large tail swung lazily back and forth behind him. The woman looked like a cheetah and she had on a purple outfit similar to Rose's. The woman looked over her shoulder when she felt Rose's eyes on her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Rose said.

The woman turned completely around.

"You are human?" she said.

"Yeah, I am. What are you?"

"I am felinus. I'm called Tarana and this is my mate, Cephos," she said, pointing to the lion.

The lion smiled and turned towards them. The four of them made polite conversation as the queue moved along and by the time they reached the registration booth by the opening they were laughing and joking like old friends. Cephos registered him and Tarana at the booth and then they stood back and waited for the Doctor and Rose to finish. Once they were registered and received black bracelets, Cephos took his mate and his new friends out of the arena through a different exit towards a café he knew of. The café was built of white cement in a rectangular shape. Trees on all sides provided shade. They walked through a small wooden door and headed for a table near the back. They sat down and a woman with pale pink skin took their orders. Rose allowed the Doctor to order for her since he was familiar with the choices on the menu. When the drinks came in tall glasses, Rose examined hers. It was a pale pink liquid, nearly the color of their waitress's skin. She sipped it and licked her lips. The liquid tasted like cherry cola with a bit of an extra zing to it. The Doctor's drink was a pale purple and he sipped it languidly while listening to Cephos speak.

While they chatted and ate their meals, Rose could feel eyes staring at her. She finally looked behind her and saw a large man sitting three tables away from her. He had a red cyborg eye and numerous battle scars all over his face. He also had a metallic prosthetic hand and he used that hand to raise his glass of green liquid to her. Rose gave him a polite smile and waved hello. The man grinned at that and nodded. Rose frowned, noticing the man was sitting by himself. She turned back around, figuring his partner was in the toilet or doing something else. She turned her attention back to Tarana but she still sensed the man was watching her.

After dinner, the four friends decided to room together before the competition started in the morning. The dormitories were extremely long and made of cement and looked like the restaurant only larger. When they got inside, they found to their dismay that men slept on the left side of the building while women stayed on the right. Both Rose and Tarana said their goodbyes and headed with several other women to their rooms. Each room had two bunkbeds with a long wooden table and a high backed wooden chair between the beds. Each bed was made with sheets and a blue blanket. At the end of the building was the communal bathroom and toilet. Rose and Tarana chose a room near the toilet and took the bunkbed on the left. Rose took the bottom bunk while her friend took the top one. Soon they were joined by another human, a young woman with long brown hair and grey eyes who was wearing a sports bra and jean shorts and a humanoid lizard who had on a leather bra and pants. The four women sat on their beds and chatted and Rose felt like being in an intergalactic slumber party. The other humans name was Sharon and she had fallen in love with an alien man and had gone with him back to Andromeda. They 'd married and had a child. The man's name was Seltok and he was participating in the games while their child was being looked after by a relative. The lizard woman was called Ssslisa. She came from Frongia and was here with her mate for the games. The four women compared notes on their men and were giggling about them when Rose suddenly sensed someone passing by the open door. She turned her head just in time to see the man with the cyborg eye going past. He had been looking right at her as he went by. Rose rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention back to the other women in the group.

"So, Rose," Tarana said, "is the Doctor your mate then?"

"Nah, we're just best mates," Rose said.

"Do you want him to be?" Sharon said. "I mean, obviously I have no objections to humans being with aliens."

"Well…" Rose said.

The others prompted her to speak when she hesitated and she giggled and nodded.

"I love him, yeah," she said. "I think he loves me but he won't say it. He gives me those little looks though and the way he acts around me, I can tell he fancies me."

"Was this his idea?" Ssslisa asked.

"Yeah, it was."

"Maybe this is some sort of kinky thing. You hide and he finds you," Sharon said.

Rose giggled when the other girls oooed at that and teased her. She excused herself to go to the toilet and as she was going out the door, she gasped when she nearly ran into the man. He had been standing by their doorway listening and he smirked at her shock.

"Clear off, mate!" Rose said. "I'm not interested in ya if that's what you're hopin'."

"No, but I'm interested in you…and your friend," the man said in a deep, gravelly voice.

"What'd ya mean by that? Who are you?"

The man chuckled and Rose flinched when he ran his finger down her cheek. He winked at her and walked past her. Rose watched him walk away and decided to tell the Doctor about him as soon as she was done using the toilet.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

After telling her friends where she was going, Rose headed towards the other side of the building. When she reached the halfway point and moved on, she began passing men instead of women and she asked the men she saw if they knew where the Doctor or Cephos were rooming, describing them to the people she met. She didn't have any luck until the fourth man she met, a little blue dwarf with a couple of horns growing out of his head like a demon. The man introduced himself as Nanos and told her that he was rooming with the Doctor and Cephos. He led her back to their room and the Doctor smiled when he saw Rose.

"Miss me already? Or do you want to risk the wrath of the authorities and room with me?" he teased.

"Doctor, can I talk to you for a moment?" Rose said.

"Sure. Sorry, chaps, gotta go for a moment. My companion needs me," the Doctor said, sliding off the top of his bunk bed.

Rose noticed that no one was below him while Cephos and Nanos were using the other bunkbed.

"You only have three in your room then?" she asked as the Doctor stepped outside with her.

"Yeah, for the moment. We've been getting to know one another though," the Doctor said, hooking his thumb back at the room. "What about you? Settling in?"

"Yeah, we're all filled up and Tarana and I are getting along with our roommates. But that's not why I'm here."

She told him about the man and described him and what he said to her. The Doctor's face darkened when she told him what he said to her.

"They have security here, I've seen it. Best to tell them what's going on," the Doctor said. "I don't know who this man is but considering I've made a lot of enemies over the years, he could be someone with a grudge and I don't want to spend our time here sorting him out. Come on."

Rose took his hand and followed him back towards the center of the building. When they reached the entrance to the outside, they noticed a man wearing a white shirt, red waistcoat and black trousers. He was wearing a small nametag on the right side of the waistcoat so the Doctor stopped him and Rose told him what was going on. The man asked her to describe her stalker and when she finished, he nodded.

"That's Johnson, we hired him as part of the competition this year," the man said.

"What'd ya mean?" Rose said.

"Well, we added a new element to the competition. Not only will your partner be looking for you but Johnson and several others will be chasing people out of their hiding places and making it harder for the seekers to find you."

"What's he doing with me then?" Rose said. "The competition hasn't even started."

"Well, some of the predators as we call them are going around the dormitories, acting tough and pretending to threaten some of the participants. Psychological warfare, if you like."

"I see. Well, they shoulda said something," Rose said.

"Sorry, I thought everyone was informed about the predators," the man said.

"No harm done. She was just a bit frazzled," the Doctor said. "We've had our share of stalkers and she came to me because she was worried."

"Again, my apologies. I'm Daryl. If you need anything, please come and find me. We want your stay here to be pleasant."

They thanked him and left to go back to Rose's room. The Doctor followed behind; escorting her to make sure she wasn't harassed again. Johnson was nowhere in sight and Rose relaxed when they reached her room. The Doctor peeked in and waved at the other women.

"You're having fun without me, that should be illegal," he said to Rose.

"Nah, I'll never have as much fun as I have with you," Rose said.

"Oh, is this him?" Sharon said as she and the three women peeked around the door. "My, my, he's cute."

Rose giggled when the Doctor blushed at that. She and Ssslisa introduced themselves and they chatted for a moment before the Doctor decided to head back to his room. Rose waved goodbye and the women watched him as he turned and headed back to the men's side of the building.

"He is very cute," Sharon said as they went back inside the room. "You're very lucky."

"Yes, he is. He used to look different to that but he regenerated."

"I've heard about that," Ssslisa said as they sat back down on their beds. "We have legends of the Time Lords on my home world. They can change their faces."

"Not just that, their whole bodies," Rose said.

She explained regeneration to Sharon and Tarana. While she did, she thought she saw Johnson passing by the door again and she fought to keep her anger in check. She figured he was doing that to everyone and she was taking it personally. He was playing mind games with everyone and she was falling for it. She had to be better than that if she hoped to win.

After a while, a man brought in a tray filled with glasses of milk and biscuits. Rose sipped the milk and thought it tasted very sweet, much sweeter than cow milk. The cookies were sweet too and she devoured three of them along with the glass of milk. After they were finished snacking, the man came back around to take the tray away and the women decided to go to sleep. Rose and Tarana removed their veils and put them on the table and Ssslisa turned out the overhead light and got into bed. Rose listened as her friends fell asleep but it felt weird lying in a strange bed surrounded by people she barely knew. She was used to her bed and the soft wheezing of the TARDIS and the Doctor occasionally coming in and snuggling with her. She wondered what he was doing now. She knew he rarely slept so she decided to go and see if he was still awake. She got out of bed and looked out the door. The corridor was dimly lit now and she heard soft snores coming from the other rooms. She couldn't see Johnson or Daryl or anyone else so she slowly walked towards the men's rooms. She reached the front door but still no sign of Daryl. She wondered if he was on a break or was outside doing something before she hurried past the door to the men's area. Some of the snores were louder here and she giggled when she heard some men telling some of the snoring men to shut up. She reached the Doctor's room and peeked inside. Cephos was snoring loudly and it was a half snore, half roar as he slept. The Doctor was in the top bunk staring up at the ceiling, wide awake as usual. She crept inside, hoping to sneak up on him but as usual, his senses were on red alert. He turned his head towards her and an impish grin spread over his face.

"You're not s'posed to be in here, Rulebreaker," he said softly.

"Can't sleep. I s'pose you can't either with the racket Cephos's makin'," Rose said.

The Doctor chuckled.

"Yes, he's quite loud. I just hope he doesn't kick in his sleep or I might get toe claws in me bum," he said, pointing downwards.

"I like my roommates but it's not the same here. I miss being on the TARDIS."

"So do I," the Doctor said. "At least there I could walk around; here I have to stay in my room. Or I thought I did until you popped in here. You really are being a rule breaker, you know that, right?"

"I just wanted to see ya."

"Well, you've seen me, now scamper back to your room, little mouse, before we get thrown out of the competition. You'll be okay, trust me. I have my ears attuned to your screams and I'll be down the corridor lickety split if you bellow."

"It isn't that. I'm just lonely for ya."

The Doctor beamed and laid his hand on her cheek.

"Rose, you better go back to your room," he said tenderly.

Rose nodded. She beckoned to him and he leaned over the bed and smiled when she kissed his cheek and whispered goodnight in his ear. He whispered goodnight in return and ran the back of his fingers down her cheek before she reluctantly headed out the door and back to her room.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

When Rose woke up the next morning, she found clothes at the foot of her bed and a large tray of food on the table. She examined the clothes. It was a one piece bodysuit made of some alien latex. The suit had boots attached to them and it was ultra-lightweight.

"Is this what we're supposed to wear?"

Rose looked over at Sharon when she said that and she was holding up an identical suit.

"S'pose so. Maybe it's designed to protect you when you're hiding," Rose said.

"Yeah, but I'm seeking," Sharon said as the others woke up and looked at their bodysuits. "Still, I guess everyone has to wear them."

Rose closed the door and the women stripped off their clothes and put the bodysuits on. To her surprise, her suit was an exact fit and she wondered how they managed to get her measurements. She decided she didn't want to know and she and her friends began eating what was on the tray. They ate sandwiches with some kind of alien meat that Rose thought was delicious and a brown drink in a tall glass that tasted like an energy shake. While they ate, the Doctor appeared at the door wearing an identical bodysuit to Rose's. Rose stopped drinking; staring with barely disguised lust at the body hugging outfit that accentuated the Doctor's body, including the crotch.

"I see you lot were also forced to wear these," the Doctor said. "I just had an argument with a member of staff because I'd rather not wear this but I lost out."

"It flatters your body though," Sharon said, giving him an appreciative glance.

"Yes, I'm sure you women are enjoying the sight of every curve and dimple in my body but this feels funny. I hate it. I'm not even hiding, why am I wearing it?"

"Because everyone has to wear it so you do as well," Rose said.

"But there are no pockets, where do I put my sonic?" the Doctor said, walking over to Rose.

He blushed when he noticed the women were staring at his crotch and they giggled when he put his hand over it.

"No, not there," he said as they laughed harder.

"Carry it in your hand and put it down when you need both your hands," Rose said with a shrug.

"Perhaps I'll wear my coat over this thing," the Doctor said. "Surely they won't object to that."

"I have a feeling they might," Rose said.

"Tough. I'm doing it anyway, I need pockets and I'm not leaving my coat behind so someone can pinch it. The coat stays with me."

"Here, calm down and have a sandwich," Rose said, getting up and getting him a sandwich off the tray.

The Doctor took it, sniffed it and took a bite.

"Mmm, Smevlovian gut meat, one of my favorites," he said with a mouthful of sandwich.

The four women exchanged glances.

"Gut…meat? We were eating something's guts?" Rose said.

"Mmm, Smevlovians are a sort of cat-like creature on Veshlula. Tiny creature, sort of Yorkie sized but their entrails are very tasty."

"No wonder I liked it. We live on entrails," Ssslisa said.

The Doctor grinned when Rose and Sharon exchanged nauseated glances. Actually, Smevlovians were more like cows and it was closer to cow meat but he enjoyed teasing his companion and watching her squirm at times. He took another bite of his sandwich and winked at Rose.

XOXOXOXOXO

After eating, the Doctor fetched his coat and made sure to transfer all essential objects from his suit to it. Tarana and Cephos walked with them while Ssslisa, Sharon and Nanos went to find their partners. Everyone was heading back to the arena and once they were inside, everyone was directed to sit in the seats. The Doctor, Rose, Tarana and Cephos sat in leather chairs near the bottom, close to the playing field. Rose looked around, trying to find her friends but they hadn't entered the arena yet. She giggled when her eyes turned towards the Doctor. The Doctor gave her a quizzical look.

"What's so funny?"

"You're the only one in here who's got something on besides the bodysuit. You stick out," she said, fingering the trench coat.

"Good. I like sticking out," the Doctor said, raising his chin defiantly. "I have the bleeding outfit on so they can't say anything."

Rose stared at him for a moment and then began playing with the flap of his coat. The Doctor raised his eyebrow and jerked the flap out of her fingers. Rose picked up the flap and played with it again and the Doctor feigned exasperation before he pinched her arm. Tarana gave the two of them a puzzled look when they started a poke war between each other.

"Is this something you do on your planet?" she asked as Cephos turned his head to see what they were doing.

"No, this is something we do to annoy one another," the Doctor said as Rose pressed down on top of his head with her finger and quickly ruffled his hair. "You see, apes like Rose have very tiny IQ's, so simple things like poking amuse them. I, as a higher being, indulge her ape mind because that keeps her happy. Sorta like having a dog at times, only slightly smarter and…OW!" the Doctor said when Rose pinched his arm as hard as she could.

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Ape brain and all," Rose said with an innocent shrug.

She giggled when the Doctor took hold of her head and lightly butted it. Tarana shared an amused glance with Cephos when Rose swatted his arm in return. They stopped their teasing when an elderly man wearing a crimson robe walked to the center of the playing field with a microphone.

"Welcome," the man said. "I am Gar, the coordinator of the Hide and Seek competition. I welcome all of you and I'm glad we have so many participants this year. The game area is approximately 200 miles long so there will be plenty of hiding places for everyone. A new addition this year will be the predators who will be hunting the participants and trying to keep them on the move. It will make it more difficult for the seekers to find their partners and make the game more interesting. Now…will all those who are hiding come down into the playing field so we can get the game started?"

"See ya," Rose said to the Doctor.

"Oh don't worry, I'll find you in about ten minutes," the Doctor boasted.

"Yeah, right. You keep telling yourself that," Rose said as she and Tarana walked over to the steps that led down to the playing field.

As they walked down the stairs, people on either side of the open doors handed each person a black wristband. The Doctor leaned forward, trying to get a good look at the devices.

"Those look like Time Agent Vortex Manipulators," he said to Cephos. "They're using those for teleporters?"

"I'm not sure, Doctor. I don't know what a vortex manipulator is," Cephos said with a shrug.

"Well, it can teleport but it can also travel in time but maybe these are modified manipulators. Now I can't wait to get one so I can examine it."

Once everyone was down on the playing field, Gar instructed them on how to wear and operate the teleporter. Rose strapped hers on and lifted up a leather cover. Underneath was a small screen and a keypad. She held it up to her face, examining it closely.

"The teleporters are set to miles," Gar said. "For instance, if you want to teleport 120 miles from here, input 120 using the keypad and press the enter key. There is also a decimal key if you want to go 120 and a half miles. Obviously for that you input 120.5. The game space is 200 miles in all directions so 200 is the limit you can input into the device. Now, you'll also notice a small directional pad beside the enter button that has four arrows. After you input 120, choose which direction you wish to go, the arrow pointing up is north, bottom arrow is south and so on. This is how you will travel. If you wish to travel back here, simply input 0 and push the enter button and you'll automatically come back to this field. Any questions now, raise your hand."

Rose looked around and noticed a squid headed man raised a flipper. Gar acknowledged him.

"What happens when someone wins?" he asked.

"Good question. All of you will automatically be transported back here," Gar said. "Everyone will then switch places with their partners and have another go. Once a winner is determined from that, the games officially will end. Any more questions?"

No one raised their hand.

"Good. Then everyone here is free to travel. But remember, the seekers won't start until you all leave so leave as quickly as you can. Good luck."

Rose glanced up at the Doctor and he raised his ten fingers up. Rose snorted and shook her head at that and the Doctor winked and gave her a thumb's up. Rose looked down at her teleporter and thought about where she wanted to go. She glanced at Tarana who was waiting.

"Let's go together. At least at the start," she said.

"Alright, you choose a number, I'll choose the direction," Rose said.

"Okay, how about 97?" Tarana muttered.

"Okay, I choose north then," Rose said.

Both women entered 97 and pushed the up arrow. Rose glanced at the Doctor once more before she hit the enter button and traveled out of the arena.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Rose gasped when she suddenly stopped moving and nearly tripped over a large rock. She quickly got her footing and Tarana grabbed her before she could fall backwards. She and her friend were standing at the bottom of a narrow rock canyon. Rose looked around but apart from a few boulders scattered around them there was no way up. The canyon walls were mostly smooth and there were no real footholds.

"Oh great, now what?" Tarana said.

"I s'pose we can teleport somewhere else?" Rose asked. "I don't see any good hiding places and it's too deep to climb out."

"Let's walk along the canyon floor first and see what's here," Tarana said.

Rose nodded and they walked off together. From what Rose could see, there was no hiding places and there was no trail going up to the surface. Vaguely she wondered where the Doctor would end up. She hoped he would pick 97 north just so she could have a laugh about how psychic he was but she had a feeling he wouldn't. She just hoped he and Cephos didn't end up inside volcanoes.

"Rose, look."

Rose was jarred from her thoughts when Tarana pointed out an opening in the rock wall about fifty feet away. The opening was about eight feet tall and four foot wide.

"Cave?" Rose said.

"Must be. Wanna explore it?"

"Sure," Rose said, hoping they were making the right decision.

The last thing she wanted was to stumble and fall in the dark and break her leg, far from the Doctor and any chance of real help. But when they reached the opening they noticed there were glo orbs inside, lighting up the interior. It shocked her for a moment until she remembered that the game area was built specifically for the competition and she figured any dark nook or cranny was probably lit by glo orbs. Feeling safer since she figured that they wouldn't light any area that was dangerous, she and Tarana stepped inside. The path they were on seemed to slope upward.

"Maybe this is how you get out of the canyon," Tarana said, pointing to the path.

Rose nodded, grateful that the coordinator gave them a way out. She and Tarana followed the glo orb lit path as it headed upwards.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

The Doctor stood beside Cephos on the game field while he examined the teleporter. From what he could deduce, it was a time agent's vortex manipulator but he suspected it had been modified so there was only the option of teleportation. At least he hoped so. He stared at the keypad, trying to guess what Rose might have picked. He wished fervently that his companion shared the ability to mind link and memory share like Time Lords did. Would have made it so much easier. He looked at Cephos when he tapped him on the shoulder.

"Good luck, my friend," he said to him.

"And you," the Doctor said.

The Doctor noticed he inputted 57 south before he vanished from sight. Many others were disappearing around him now and he was trying to think of where Rose might have gone. He figured she might have chosen north since he figured most people would chose north but what number could she have picked? Most of the seekers were now gone so he thought fast. He decided to choose 100 since that was also a common number. He inputted 100 north and hit the enter button.

He gasped and staggered a bit when he landed at the base of a large snowcapped mountain. He looked up at the mountain and estimated the apex to be about 12,000 feet. He looked around and saw a desert area behind him. He reached into his trench coat and pulled out a pair of mini binoculars. He scanned the desert and noticed a wide opening running across the desert about three miles away. Beyond that was what looked like a volcano with a forest around it. Off to his right in the distance was an icy tundra.

"My, my, they've crammed many terrains in here, haven't they?" he muttered to himself. "All part of the game, make it more exciting. Well, I won't find Rose standing about and burning daylight. So…where are you, my hearts? I hope my calculations are correct and you're nearby."

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and adjusted it to pick up artron radiation in the hopes that Rose was near enough to register. He raised his screwdriver into the air and turned it on. He scanned the air for thirty seconds and then read the display. To his delight, there was an artron radiation reading besides his.

"See, my pretty little ape, told ya it'd take all of ten minutes," he muttered. "So, you're slightly south but still near enough to pick up on the sonic. All I need to do is keep taking a reading until I find you and then we'll head back to the arena and claim our prize!"

He took another reading to be sure and then headed south towards the canyon.

XOXOXOXOXO

Rose and Tarana stopped when they suddenly ran into a rock wall. They looked around but couldn't see any other openings.

"So we get halfway up and there's a dead end," Rose said. "Lovely. Must be someone's idea of a joke."

"Maybe there's a way to move this wall," Tarana said, feeling the walls on the right side of the corridor.

Rose watched for a few seconds and did the same thing on the left side. She ran her hand over the slightly bumpy rock walls but couldn't find anything that might slide open the wall.

"We're s'posed to be hiding, not exploring so maybe this is a place to hide," Rose said. "We hide here and hope no one sees the cave opening."

"Yeah but this is rubbish, at least give us some rocks to hide behind instead of just crouching at the end of the corridor," Tarana said. "This is far too easy."

"Wait a tic," Rose said when her hand found a small crevice in the wall.

She reached into it and found a button with her fingers. She pushed it but instead of the wall opening, a hatch raised open in front of them. Glo orbs came on the moment the hatch stopped moving and they could see a metal ladder leading down. Rose and Tarana looked at each other.

"Should we?" Tarana said.

"Why not? Maybe this will continue on to the top," Rose said, shrugging.

She decided to go first and she sat down on the ground and put her legs in the hole. She scooted over till her feet were on the rungs of the ladder and she started going down while Tarana watched. She looked around as she climbed down but to her dismay there was only a circular room with no way out.

"No use coming down here, Tarana, there's no way out, it's just an empty room," she called as she looked up, unaware that a laser beam in front of her was scanning her body.

By the time she looked down, the laser had stopped it's scan and was now gone. Rose looked around but the only thing in the room was four glo orbs spaced evenly around the walls. Rose shook her head.

"Don't wanna hide here," she muttered.

She was about to go back up when suddenly the wall opened like a door in front of her. Rose froze and her mouth dropped open when the Doctor stepped into the room.

"Now wait just a moment, how the bloody hell did you find me so fast?" Rose said to him.

"I know you, Rose. We are in sync with one another," the Doctor said, smiling warmly as he came towards her. "Our hearts beat as one."

"Sure they do, you used the sonic, didn't ya? Some sort of fancy scanning device?" Rose said.

"Rose, what's going on?"

"The Doctor found me, Tarana!"

"Already?"

"Yup, he made good on his threat to find me within ten minutes," Rose said, looking up. "You might as well come…down," she said softly when the Doctor started to kiss the underside of her chin.

She lowered her head and the Doctor moved his head and began kissing her cheek. Rose was stunned in addition to being turned on as the Doctor took her in his embrace and began kissing her entire face.

"Doctor, are you alright?" Rose said, still in a state of shock. "You're acting strange."

"I missed you," the Doctor breathed. "I missed you so much."

"What the?" Tarana said when she climbed down enough to see the snogging.

"Um…the Doctor missed me," Rose said as her face turned beet red.

The Doctor ignored Tarana as he rained kisses down on her face. Tarana got off the ladder and stared at her friends, not quite knowing what to say.

"Come with me, my Rose," the Doctor said softly when he came up for air. "Follow me. I will show you the way out."

"Shouldn't we just input 0 into the teleporter?" Rose said.

"No, come with me. I want to show you something," the Doctor said in a husky voice.

"Well, what about Tarana, can she come as well?" Rose said, annoyed at the overt lust the Doctor was showing her.

She gasped when the Doctor began to pull her roughly towards the opening.

"Come with me, be with me…forever," the Doctor muttered as he pulled her.

Rose sensed something was wrong and fear rose inside her as the Doctor made her go towards the opening.

"Tarana, help me. The Doctor's been possessed or he's being controlled or something!  
>Rose yelled.<p>

"Come, my love, we will be alone at last," the Doctor said as he forced Rose towards the opening.

He grunted when Tarana lunged forward and smacked him upside the head with her open palm.

"She doesn't want to go with you," she growled. "Let go of her."

Rose gasped when the Doctor backhanded her and quickly grabbed Rose again when she tried to run. Rose looked at the Doctor and her horror increased when the Doctor opened his mouth to reveal a pair of fangs where his canines should be.

"Come, my beloved, we will be together for all eternity," he said to her as he continued to drag her towards the opening.

He backhanded Tarana again when she tried to pull Rose away. This time Rose was able to get free and she headed back towards the ladder. The Doctor backhanded Tarana again to get her away from the ladder and then grabbed Rose as she tried to scramble up the ladder. Rose tried to fight him but the Doctor managed to get her in a tight hug. Rose gasped when she suddenly felt the Doctor's fangs in her neck. She twisted, trying to get free but the Doctor kept his fangs in her neck as he pulled her towards the opening. Rose felt her neck growing warm and then she suddenly felt sleepy. The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was the opening as the Doctor dragged her towards it.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The real Doctor took a short break and looked around. He'd been walking towards the canyon but so far he was the only person around.

"Hmmm, where would I hide if I were Rose?" he muttered. "Perhaps I should try that canyon?"

He flipped the cover on his teleporter and put in 98 north. There was a flash and he was closer to the canyon. He thought for a moment and tried 97 north. This time he found himself inside the canyon. He looked around and put his hand against the wall of the canyon. He looked behind him trying to find any sort of trail or path up but he didn't see any. He walked off, seeing if there was anywhere to hide.

XOXOXOXOXOXO

"Let her go, Doctor!" Tarana said as the Doctor pulled the unconscious Rose towards the doorway.

Behind him, she could see a corridor. She flexed her claws and hissed, determined not to let the Time Lord take her friend away. She bared her fangs but the Doctor smirked at that and bared his in return. She tried to lunge at him but he dropped Rose, grabbed her by the arms and tripped her with his leg. He let go of her arms and she dropped to the ground. She rolled when he tried to stomp on her and when she leapt up, he lunged at her and barreled into her, knocking her back. Tarana raised her arm and brought it down, slicing his cheek open with her claws. The Doctor growled in anger and decked her face. Tarana was knocked back against the wall and the Doctor grabbed her and repeatedly slammed her against the rock wall until the wind was knocked out of her. He let go and she slumped to the ground. The Doctor smirked at her, walked back to Rose, hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and walked towards the doorway.

Tarana staggered to her feet, growling in frustration as the door closed behind him, blocking her from Rose. Realizing she needed help, she inputted 0 on her teleporter and hit the enter button. She frowned when nothing happened and she tried it again.

"No, don't do this to me!" Tarana said as she tried it for a third time.

She tried 99 south in order to get out of the canyon and it still didn't work. She ran over to the wall and tried to open it but she couldn't find any way to open it. She finally decided to go back outside, thinking that perhaps the teleporter doesn't work indoors. She raced to the ladder, went up and went back down the corridor back towards the cave opening. When she reached the opening, she spun around and gasped when she saw the Doctor walking towards her. He was about twenty feet from her and his face brightened when he saw her.

"Tarana! What luck!" he said, waving to her. "I…"

He froze when Tarana roared and ran towards him, claws bared.

"Where is she?" Tarana yelled.

The Doctor turned and ran and jumped onto a boulder. He spun around and jumped past her as Tarana tried to swipe at him.

"Tarana, it's me. What are you doing? Stop!" the Doctor said.

"Where's Rose? What have you done with her?" Tarana snarled as she spun around.

"What? I haven't found Rose yet. I'm looking for her," the Doctor said. "Just calm down. Don't attack, please. I didn't do anything!"

Tarana froze when she noticed his cheek didn't have the scratch marks she'd given him earlier. She stared at him, confused, as the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief.

"I came here about a half hour ago. This is the first spot I came to," he explained to her. "I haven't found Rose yet and I haven't done anything to her. I don't understand why you're trying to attack me."

"Rose and I…we came here together and we found this cave," Tarana said,pointing behind him. "We explored it and found an underground room. Rose went down first and this wall slid open and you came out. Suddenly, you attacked Rose and started dragging her back towards the room. When she resisted, you bit her with fangs and she passed out. Then you attacked me and I attacked in return and slashed your cheek…but your cheek is fine," she said, staring at his cheek in confusion.

"Tarana, whatever you saw, that wasn't me. I don't have fangs and I'd never attack Rose. But can you show me where this…other me took her?"

"Follow me," Tarana said, grateful that it wasn't her friend that harmed Rose.

They ran back into the cave and Tarana showed him the trapdoor. The Doctor went down first and Tarana followed him. Tarana showed him the wall and the Doctor felt along it.

"I couldn't find a way to open it," she said.

"I think I might have a way," the Doctor said, whipping out his screwdriver.

Tarana watched while he aimed it at the wall and breathed a sigh of relief when it slid open.

"This little doodah opens most anything," the Doctor said to Tarana. "Follow me and stay alert."

Tarana nodded and they walked into the corridor. For about five minutes there was nothing except stone walls, then the bile rose in Tarana's throat when they suddenly saw dead and decaying corpses scattered along the path.

"Now I definitely don't do this," the Doctor said as he stopped at a corpse and examined it.

"Some of these have been fed on," Tarana said as she examined another. "The belly's been ripped open and the entrails are missing."

"Hope his entrails didn't end up in the sandwiches," the Doctor said. "Whatever this thing is, Rose is in danger of being its next meal. Come on; let's get to her before that happens."

They walked on. The farther they went the more corpses they found and Tarana began to wonder if her friend would be amongst them.

"Why would this thing look like you?" she asked.

"Shape shifter perhaps?" the Doctor said as he looked around. "If it feeds on flesh, it could use the shape shifting to lure people in. Ah!" the Doctor added when they found an opening in the wall to their left. "Keep close and keep quiet and keep your fingers crossed."

Tarana wasn't sure why she should cross her fingers but she kept quiet and stayed behind her friend. The stench of rotting flesh had been growing but now it was overpowering and now there were other animals besides humans among the dead. Then the corridor widened and they walked into a large stone room. On the other side the corridor continued but in the room there were piles of corpses. Tarana gasped and seized the sleeve of the Doctor's coat. He turned and she pointed to Rose lying in the corner amidst other dead bodies. There were puncture wounds in her neck and dried blood was streaking from them down to her clavicle.

"No, no, no," the Doctor said as he and Tarana ran over to her.

He knelt down and checked her pulse.

"She's alive," he said.

"Thank the gods," Tarana said.

The Doctor did a quick scan and looked at the results.

"Her respiratory functions have been slowed. She's probably in a coma. I have a feeling this thing acts like a spider. Paralyzes its prey before it feeds. Luckily, I might have just the thing to counteract the poison."

He reached into his trenchcoat pocket and pulled out a small bottle filled with a pale pink liquid.

"Took along some things just in case, stuff I thought might be useful. This antidote works on most poisons. Not all, but most and I'm hoping it'll be enough to bring Rose back to us. Hold her head up for me."

Tarana helped him and the Doctor opened her mouth and poured a tiny bit of the antidote into her mouth. He messaged her throat until she swallowed it and put the cap back on the bottle.

"We need to get her back to the arena," Tarana said. "The problem is, I tried the teleporter in here and it didn't work."

"It didn't?" the Doctor said.

"No, it must not work indoors."

"I don't see why not, most teleporters do," the Doctor said. "Here, I'll try mine. Well…you punch in the coordinates and hit enter after I pick up Rose."

He gathered Rose into his arms and watched while Tarana opened the flap on his teleporter and input 0. She hit enter and the Doctor and Tarana looked at each other when nothing happened.

"Odd, that shouldn't be doing that," he said to her. "No matter, we'll go back outside and try it there and…"

He jerked his head around when he heard a hissing sound. The other Doctor stepped from the far corridor into the room and smiled, showing them his fangs.

"Well, now…it seems I have more guests for dinner," he said to them.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Who are you? What are you?" the Doctor said as the fanged Doctor slowly walked towards him. "Show your true self."

"I am you and this is my beloved, she will stay with me…forever," the fanged Doctor said, gesturing to Rose.

"Whoever you are, you sent one friend into a coma and tried to attack my other friend. That was a big mistake!"

"You will join me here, forever," the fanged Doctor said.

"No, I think not. Back away and let us pass or you'll live to regret it."

The fanged Doctor chuckled and opened his mouth wide, ready to lunge at the Doctor. Just then, Tarana lunged at him and pushed him back.

"There, you can put Rose down now," Tarana said to the Doctor while the fanged Doctor struggled with her.

"Much obliged, my friend," the Doctor said, quickly laying her back on the corpses. "Be with you in a mo, Rose! Got something to sort…OUT!" he said, yelling the last word as he spun around and raised his fist.

The fanged Doctor grunted when the Doctor's fist slammed into his nose. The fanged Doctor let go of Tarana and she raked her claws across his face, slashing his other cheek open. The Doctor whipped out his screwdriver, turned it on and instantly the disguise faded to reveal a large hairy spider-like creature with several black eyes on its head. The spider creature hissed and showed them its fangs which didn't change with the disguise. The rest of the body was black and covered with stiff black hairs. The creature had human-like legs and arms and he raised his black hands to choke the Doctor. The Doctor and Tarana dodged it and the Doctor grabbed the creature from behind when it tried to go to Rose. The Doctor noticed Rose was stirring and he breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the antidote was working.

Tarana got in front of the creature and hit it hard in the face with the back of her hand. The Doctor began to back away, forcing the creature to get away from Rose while Tarana kept hitting its face. The creature hissed at the assault and tried to get free of the Doctor's grip. The Doctor let go but quickly grabbed around the creature's neck, putting it in a headlock. By now, Rose was moaning and moving her head from side to side as she struggled to wake up. The Doctor kept the headlock going until finally the creature lost consciousness and slumped in his arms. The Doctor let go and let him slide to the floor. He stepped over the creature and went to Rose. He and Tarana knelt down beside her and the Doctor put his hand against her cheek.

"Rose? Rose, wake up," the Doctor said.

Rose's eyelids fluttered and she slowly opened them. It took a moment for her eyes to focus and then she gasped when she saw the Doctor.

"No, it's me. It's really me. The other me was a spider creature disguised as me," the Doctor said.

"Doctor," Rose said softly.

Tarana smiled as the Doctor embraced her.

"How did you find us?" Rose said as he and Tarana helped her to stand.

"I told ya I'd find ya within ten minutes," the Doctor said.

Rose snorted. She looked around at the corpses and the unconscious spider creature and made a face.

"Glad I was unconscious during all this," he said as they helped her walk out.

Rose was appalled when she walked past all the corpses.

"Bloody hell, this thing had an appetite," she said, looking around.

"Luckily, you didn't end up in the pile," Tarana said.

"Yes," Rose said. "Don't fancy being that thing's lunch."

"So…we get outside, get back and win," the Doctor said. "Told ya I find ya in under ten minutes."

"No, it was more than ten minutes," Rose said.

"Okay, found ya in eleven minutes then," the Doctor said.

Tarana laughed when Rose looked at her and rolled her eyes.

"You see," the Doctor said as they walked along, "I figured you lot would choose mile 100 and also north since that's the most popular direction. I was off by three but…"

"Hold on, we didn't choose north, we chose south," Rose said.

The Doctor stopped and the women stopped with him.

"This isn't 97 north?" he said.

"No, it's 97 south," Tarana said.

The Doctor was taken aback. He looked at his teleporter.

"I think, my friends, that there are modified time agent vortex manipulators and when they modified them, they went all wonky. I shoulda gone the opposite direction from you but I didn't. In light of recent events, I'm glad it went wrong and I landed up here. We need to get back to the arena though. I no longer care about winning; I care about Rose receiving proper treatment. Let's hope the teleporters work outside."

"They don't work?" Rose said, alarmed.

"Not in here, we haven't tried them outside yet," Tarana said.

"Great, what else could go wrong?" Rose muttered. "I thought we joined this game to have fun not end up killed."

When they reached the ladder, Tarana went up first. The Doctor gave his companion a concerned look when he saw she was a bit ashen.

"I wonder if he took a bit of blood from you when he bit you," the Doctor said. "You're very pale."

"I feel sick," Rose said. "Whatever he put in me, it's making me feel a bit woozy."

"Don't worry, we'll get you back to the arena and get you to an infirmary," the Doctor said. "Think you can climb up?"

"Not sure, I'll try," Rose said.

"Just take your time, I'm right behind you," the Doctor said.

Rose slowly began to climb. She took the rungs slowly, looking up while Tarana gave her a concerned look from above. She was so glad that her lover and her friend were with her. She shudder to think what might have happened if she had come here alone. When she neared the top, Tarana grabbed on to her arm and help steady her while she climbed the few remaining rungs. Once she was up and out, Rose sat down on the ground to rest and get rid of the woozy feeling while the Doctor went up. The Doctor came up out of the hole and checked her with a scan from his screwdriver.

"You seem to be recovering but you still need medical attention," he said as he read the results.

They helped her to stand and walked out with her. The more she walked the stronger Rose felt and by the time they reached the mouth of the cave, she didn't need to lean on them anymore. She shielded her eyes when she stepped out into the sun, grateful that she was alive to see the sun now. She stayed near the Doctor while he prepared himself to go back to the arena.

"I'm gonna try to go back by myself and if it works, I'll come back and the three of us will go together," he said. "Here goes nothing."

He inputted 0 and pushed enter. The women groaned when nothing happened.

"Bollocks, I hate modified tech," he muttered as he took out his screwdriver.

The women watched while he ran his screwdriver over the display several times. Then he tried it again and growled in frustration when it still didn't work. He had a thought and tried 99.5 south. The women gasped when he vanished from view.

"Hey, this still works," they heard his voice drifting down from the top of the canyon as he yelled back at them.

There was a flash and the Doctor appeared at their sides.

"So, we can travel out of here but not back to the arena for some reason," the Doctor said.

"Maybe that guy gave us the wrong instructions?" Rose said.

"Maybe you have to put a direction with the 0," Tarana added.

"Yes, but if the arena is at the heart of everything, which direction would you choose?" the Doctor said. "No, there's something off about this teleporter. Damn it, I'm gonna have a word with these people once we get back to…"

Suddenly, without warning, the teleporters on everyone's wrists activated and the Doctor, Rose and Tarana were teleported away from the canyon to another part of the game area.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Rose gasped and staggered back when her feet hit the ground. The Doctor grabbed her and helped steady her before she fell back to the ground. Tarana looked around while the Doctor helped Rose sit down on a nearby rock.

"What happened? I didn't put any coordinates into my computer. How'd we get here?" she said to the Doctor.

"I think our teleporters are malfunctioning. Or…someone is controlling our movements," the Doctor said.

Tarana turned and looked behind her. They were standing on a dirt road and beside her was a small stone wall that came up to her waist. Beyond that was a grass covered hill and on top of the hill was a small stone cottage. The Doctor came up beside her, stared at the cottage for a moment and then hopped over the wall. Tarana stayed with Rose while the Doctor went up the hill towards the cottage. Meanwhile, Rose was trying to get over her sickly feeling. She noticed a small hole near her foot and focused in on that. It was about one foot in diameter and Rose wondered what might be in it. Just then she heard a small scratching and she saw a tiny pink snout coming out of the hole, sniffing the air. Rose chuckled when a tiny mole stuck his head out of the hole and sniffed again. She watched and held her body still as the mole slowly came out of the hole. It had a round little body with light brown fur and large clawed feet on the front with smaller clawed feet on the back. The mole sniffed the ground as it slowly shuffled towards Rose's shoe. Rose smiled when the mole climbed up on the shoe, sniffed the air a moment and then settled down on her shoe, resting and sunning itself. Rose was delighted and kept herself still so the mole would stay there.

Tarana, meanwhile, hadn't noticed the mole. She was leaning on the stone wall watching while the Doctor investigated the house. She watched him try the door and peek inside when it opened. Then he closed it and went around the back of the house.

"Maybe we can speak with the person who lives…"

Tarana was speaking to Rose as she was turning around. She stopped when she saw the mole. Rose grinned and put her finger to her lips.

"Shhh, my little friend is sleeping now," she said, pointing down to the slumbering mole.

Tarana chuckled. She crept over and bent to look at it.

"We eat things like this on my planet," she said softly. "It's a good thing he reached your shoe. He might have been my snack."

"Nah, he's too cute to be a snack," Rose said, studying the mole while it slept. "He probably dug all day long and now needs a little kip. Probably thinks my shoe is a rock or something."

Tarana glanced at her friend and noticed with delight that the color seemed to be coming back to her face and she looked healthier now. She made a mental note to yell at Gar when she saw him for endangering their lives. She and Rose looked up when they heard the Doctor calling to them. He was walking back down the hill towards the wall.

"Don't see anyone," the Doctor said. "It looks like it's been abandoned for some time. But there's furniture inside so let's let Rose have a rest since we're here. Meanwhile, I can examine the manipulators more closely and see if I can repair them."

The Doctor hopped back over the wall. He walked over to Rose and she giggled when he looked down at her shoe and froze.

"Made a friend while you were gone," Rose said. "He's very sleepy."

The Doctor beamed and bent over to examine the mole.

"Well, what a cutie," he said. "Poor little thing, knackered, eh? Saw Rose's shoe and thought you'd have a lie down? Aaaaw."

The Doctor very slowly put his fingers on the mole's back and stroked it. The mole stirred and sniffed the air when the Doctor took his hand away.

"Here now, you woke him up," Rose chided good naturedly.

The mole slid off Rose's shoe and the Doctor was delighted when it shuffled over towards his converse and sniffed it.

"Brave little fellow," the Doctor said as the mole put his front paw on the front of his converse.

He bent down and picked up the mole and was even more delighted when the mole settled down in the cup of his hand and sniffed the air.

"Yes, very brave or very tame, perhaps you were someone's pet once?" the Doctor said while he watched the mole sniff his hand.

"Better watch it, Tarana eats moles," Rose teased.

Tarana grinned and licked her lips, joining in the teasing.

"No, don't hurt Alfred, he's my new friend," the Doctor said.

"Alfred?" Rose said with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, he looks like an Alfred to me," he said.

Rose looked at Alfred who was lying contentedly in the Doctor's cupped hands and smiled.

"So…want to try going up to the house and resting a bit since we're here?" the Doctor said to the women.

They nodded and Tarana stood by Rose as she got up in case she needed support. The Doctor looked down at Alfred and noticed the mole seemed to be going to sleep again. He walked with him towards the wall, sat down on the wall and put one leg at a time over it so he wouldn't disturb his new pet. He watched while Tarana helped Rose over the wall before she vaulted over it herself. They walked up the hill and Tarana opened the door when they reached it. The interior was slightly dusty but very homely with overstuffed chairs and sofa. There was a bookcase in the corner of the front room with several old books in it and a table beside it with a few knick knacks. The Doctor watched while Rose sat down on the sofa and when she lay back, he put Alfred on her tummy. Alfred sniffed her while Rose chuckled and then settled down and fell back to sleep.

"I think you're right, I think this was someone's pet once," Rose said, stroking Alfred's back.

"Well, he's our pet now. We need a mascot in the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "And we'll let him sleep now while I examine the teleporters. So everyone hand me yours."

Tarana and Rose took their teleporters off and handed them to the Doctor. The Doctor went through a side door into the kitchen. The kitchen had an old iron wood burning stove and a stainless steel sink with running water. There were wooden cabinets above the sink and the counter and the Doctor opened these so he could see if there was any food. Tarana went through a doorway at the back of the room and down a short hallway to a small bedroom. There was a large four poster wooden bed with a quilt spread across it and blue pillows trimmed with lace. Beside the bed was a small nightstand with a few books on top of it and a little brass lamp. Tarana tested the bed and found the mattress soft. She went out of the room and noticed a small bathroom in the hallway to her right. She walked back into the living room and walked over to Rose. Rose was stroking Alfred while she rested. Tarana told her about the bed and asked if she wanted to use it.

"Um…I could, unless you want to use it," Rose said.

"No, you take the bed. It's softer than the sofa and you need to rest."

She picked up Alfred and Alfred sniffed at her hand while Rose sat up. She walked with Rose back to the bedroom and held Alfred while Rose pulled back the quilt and sheet underneath it. She waited till Rose was in bed before she laid Alfred back on her tummy.

"You're getting moved all around the place, aren't you?" Rose said while Alfred sniffed the air and inspected his surroundings. "Bet you didn't think you would become a pet when you came out of that hole, eh?"

"Let us know if you need anything, my friend," Tarana said.

Rose thanked her and she sighed contentedly when Tarana left the room. She stroked Alfred and smiled when Alfred came across the quilt to her chin. She giggled when his long snout probed her chin before he lay down just underneath her chin and fell asleep.

"Sleepy boy," Rose said softly. "I think I'll follow your example and have a nice kip now."

She closed her eyes and in a few minutes she was sleeping soundly with Alfred.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Tarana walked into the kitchen and stopped at the table. The Doctor was sitting there, studying the manipulators. Tarana pulled up a chair and the Doctor looked at her over the top of his glasses.

"Rose is resting in the bedroom," Tarana said.

"Good. She needs the rest, especially if we come across more dangers," the Doctor said.

"Do you think there are more dangers?" Tarana said.

The Doctor took his glasses off.

"Tarana, you haven't known me very long but know this, trouble seems to follow me wherever I go so be prepared for it," he said before putting his glasses back on. "I have a feeling these manipulators were tampered with and it wasn't accidental. That creature should have been cleared out of the game area but they left it there so it could kill anyone who came across it. To my knowledge, the games were benign, not some sort of life or death contest."

Tarana was disturbed by that. She wondered where Cephos had gone and she prayed he was alright. She watched while the Doctor used his sonic to scan his manipulator and she suddenly hoped that the Doctor was wrong and if he was right, the three of them would be able to get through the contest alive.

The Doctor looked up when he heard a tiny mewing sound coming from the living room.

"What's that?" the Doctor said, getting up from the table.

Tarana's nerves were on edge as the Doctor rounded the corner. But she relaxed a moment later when the Doctor came back, holding a mewing Alfred in his hands.

"Our little friend makes sounds like a cat, interesting," the Doctor said, setting him down on the table before sitting back down.

Tarana chuckled when Alfred shuffled towards the manipulators and sniffed them.

"He's a friendly chap. He will definitely make a good pet," the Doctor said, stroking Alfred's back.

"I wonder what it is?" Tarana said.

"Dunno. There's something like it on Earth called a mole. Perhaps it's a distant relative. I know one thing, Earth moles can't meow so it's not the same species," the Doctor said when Alfred mewed at him.

"Can you fix the manipulators?" Tarana said as the Doctor got up from the table and walked over to the cabinets over the sink.

"I don't think so. The manipulators are dead locked sealed. I can't open them to get at the circuitry. Thought I saw a box of raisins up here," the Doctor said, riffling through the cabinets. "If we put them on, we might be at the mercy of whoever is controlling them."

"You think someone is controlling them?"

"I do. I have a hunch and my hunches are usually correct. Ah, here we go," the Doctor said, pulling down a small purple box. "Unfortunately, I run into sinister setups all the time and my instincts tell me this is one of them."

He walked over, sat back down and opened the box. He pulled out a small raisin and offered it to Alfred. Alfred sniffed it, took it in his front paws and held it while he nibbled at it.

"Good, he likes raisins. Gotta have something on hand for him to eat," the Doctor said.

The Doctor put a small handful of raisins down by Alfred. Alfred finished the raisin in his paws, sniffed the pile and picked up another raisin.

"What do we do then?" Tarana said.

"Well, we don't know where we are. We don't even know if we're at the correct coordinates. For all we know, we're two miles from the arena. That is, if someone is controlling our movements. Unfortunately, we need the manipulators in case we do find a way to gain control and get back to the arena. Until then, we're at the mercy of whoever is doing this, if someone is doing this."

"Alfred?"

The Doctor looked over his shoulder when he heard Rose.

"He's in here, enjoying a snack," he called to her.

Rose came into the kitchen.

"Oh good, I thought he scarpered while I was sleeping. I missed him," she said.

"Nah, just enjoying a tasty treat. And he meows like a cat," the Doctor said as Rose walked over to the sink.

"He does?" Rose said.

"Yup. It's very cute," the Doctor said.

Rose opened the cabinets and found a glass. She got some water and listened while the Doctor filled her in on what he learned and his theory on what was happening. Rose groaned.

"So Johnson, he wasn't just intimidating me at random then," she said.

The Doctor looked at Tarana.

"That's right. That bloke was threating Rose last night, promising he'd get us," the Doctor said.

"So he's behind this?" Tarana said.

"I don't know but in light of recent events, I'd keep an eye out for him," the Doctor said. "Ah, now see…" he added, when Alfred mewed and walked over to him. "See, like a cat."

"Aw, the cuteness factor on him has just increased," Rose said as the Doctor stroked Alfred's back.

"Alfie, I have a huge TARDIS and I'm gonna ask my TARDIS to make a room for you where you can dig and eat to your heart's content," the Doctor said. "You'd never have to worry about getting eaten. You'd have a paradise all your own."

"We'll have to buy him a mate," Rose said. "A mate as in breeding mate, that is. We can have a family of moles in the TARDIS."

"No, Alfie, don't go domestic, stay a bachelor forever!" the Doctor said, rubbing his snout.

Rose rolled his eyes at that and emptied the rest of her water into the sink. She sat the glass down by the sink and told everyone she was laying back down. But a moment later, she was back at the Doctor's side.

"Doctor, I think I saw Johnson when I passed by the window. He ducked behind a tree at the bottom of the hill," she said.

"Bollocks. Rose, Tarana stay here with Alfred. I'm going to go confront him and find out what's going on here," the Doctor said, rising to his feet.

Rose and Tarana watched while the Doctor grabbed his screwdriver and put it in his coat pocket. Then he put a finger to his lips and walked to the front door, hoping he could subdue Johnson and get some answers.


End file.
